Reciprocating engine



Jan. 11, 1938;

J. G. A. KITCHEN RECIPROCATING ENGINE F'iled Sept. 2-5, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR JOHN GA. KITCHEN 8., Glow/114% ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1938. J. G. A. KITCHEN 2,105,043

RECIPROCATING ENGINE Filed Sept. 25, 1936- 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 10..12 2661' 1.2 4H I 141 v JOHN G. A. KITCHEN v YBY'W M womvsv Jan. 11, 1938. KITCHEN 2,105,043

RECIPROCATING ENGINE Filed Sept. 25, 1936 5 Sheets$heet 3 \NVENTOR KTOHN G. A. KITCHEN BY i ToRNEY Jan. 11, 1938. J. G. A. KITCHEN RECIPROCATING ENGINE Filed Sept. 25, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NVENTOR JOHN GA. K\TGHEN ATT RN Y Jan. 11, 1938.

J. G. A. KITCHEN RECIBROCATING ENGINE Filed Sept. 25, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTUR JOHN @AKITCHEN MMQ A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECIPROCATING ENGINE John George Aulsebrook Kitchen, Bowness-on- Windermere, Westmorland, England Application September 25, 1936, Serial No. 102,616 In Great Britain December 5, 1935 2 Claims.

This invention relates to reciprocating engines. Its principal object is to provide an improved fluid-actuated engine in which frictional efiects such as are inherent in ordinary reciprocating piston type engines are reduced to a minimum.

According to this invention, the working chamber of a reciprocating fluid-actuated engine comprises a series of at least three telescopicallyarranged non-contacting tubular elements whereof alternate elements are carried by two tube-carrying members which are relatively displaceable in the direction of the axis of the working chamber and which constitute a cylinder head and a piston head respectively. One of these heads has only one port therein arranged to permit a charge of working fluid under pressure to be admitted into the innermost tubular element of said series while the other head is devoid of ports. The tubular elements are of such length in relation to the stroke of the engine that some at least of the Q tubular elements carried by each head are always intercalated with those carried by the other head and all of the tubular elements are open at the ends opposite their heads so that the whole of each charge admitted through said port is compelled to traverse the sinuous path formed by the annular spaces between the tubular elements from the outermost 'of which spaces the exhaust issues at reduced pressure. Thus the charge of working fluid admitted to the innermost tubular element imparts driving energy to the piston 'head and expands through the whole series of tubular elements during one stroke of the piston head.

The tubular elements may be made of any metal and gauge suitable for the particular workingfluid to be employed which may be steam, compressed air, products of combustion or other suitable fluid under pressure and it will be appreciated that as the fluid pressure on both the inner and outer faces of any of the tubular elements is substantially the same, there are no crushing strains to be allowed for and said elements can be much thinner than the cylinders of conventional reciprocating fluid-actuated engines of approximately the same power. For example, in the case of engines utilizing products of combustion, steel of about .022 inch gauge is suitable.

The accompanying drawings show as examples 50 various ways in which the invention as applied to an engine may be carried out in practice. In the drawings:-

Figure l is an elevation partly in section of asimple form of a vertical single-acting engine;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a singleacting engine according to the invention combined with a conventional piston engine of the two-stroke type;

Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section of a double-acting engine;

Figure 4 is a plan of same; I Figure 5 is a plan of a multiple working chamber engine;

Figure 6 is an elevation of same;

- Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l-1 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is an elevation partly in section of a radial engine;

Figure 10 is a plan of same;

Figure 11 is an elevation partly in section on the line II-Ii of Figure 10, and

Figure 12 is a detail view of the inlet valve casing of the radial engine.

The drawings are of a diagrammatic character, and like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout.

In the construction shown in Figure 1, there are two relatively axially displaceable tube-carrying members constituting a cylinder head H] and a piston head II respectively. The head I0 is stationary and carries a number of concentric spaced tubular elements i2, and the head II is reciprocable and carries a number of concentric spaced tubular elements I3 which extend into the annular spaces between the tubular elements i2 without contacting therewith. All the tubular elements are of greater length than diameter and are open at their inner ends and the arrangement is such that a charge of working fluid supplied to the innermost tubular element I2 is caused to flow in a sinuous path between said elements. Thus the working fluid flows through the Working chamber in a path of gradually increasing cross-sectional area. The working fluid is sup plied under pressure to the working chamber formed by the tubular elements i2, i3 through an inlet passage I4 in the cylinder head It This inlet passage is controlled by an inlet valve l5. After flowing through the annular spaces between the tubular elements, the working fluid is exhausted to atmosphere at reduced pressure at the open end of the annular space between the outermost tubular elements l2 and 13.

The reciprocable piston head H is guided to avoid contact of the movable tubular elements I3 with the stationary tubular elements l2. In the construction shown in Figure 1, a rod is attached to the piston head ll reaches through a guide I! in which it is free to slide endwise. Any convenient guiding means may be employed, but

preferably means of the ball or roller type so as to reduce friction to a minimum. The rod I6 is connected by a connecting rod I8 to a crank it on a crank shaft disposed below the Working chamber of the engine. If it is desired to shorten the overall height of the engine, the crank shaft may be disposed at one side of the working chamber, any suitable operative connection being provided between the piston head I! and the crank I9.

The inlet valve I 5 may be operated by any suitable valve gear, for instance from a crank or eccentric 2i on the crank shaft 20 through articulated valve-actuating rods 22.

It will be appreciated that this invention provides a reciprocating engine which is adapted to operate by a combination of impulse and reaction effects in a manner somewhat analogous to a reaction turbine, and that since the tubular elements forming the working chamber do not contact there will be a complete absence of friction in the working chamber and of any parts therein to which lubricant need be supplied. It follows, therefore, that if other parts of such an engine between which relative movement takes place are provided with ball or roller'bearings, the friction will be reduced to a minimum and the attention required during running 'from'the point of view of lubrication will be almostnegligible.

The working chamber may comprise such'a number of tubular elements that the exhaust will issue from the outermost tubular element at practically atmospheric pressure. V

It will be appreciated that the provision of a relatively long path for the working fluid from inlet to exhaust enables the available energy in the fluid to be withdrawn therefrom before it reaches the exhaust outlet, and that the provision of sealing means between the relatively reciprocable tubular elements is unnecessary.

For the purpose of cooling the engine, or of obtaining maximum benefit from the expansion of the working fluid, water may be admitted to the innermost tubular element either with. or

after the admission of the working. fluid, this water being afterwards separated from the exhausted working fluid and passed through a radiator for use again in the engine.

Figure 2 shows an arrangement in which an engine constructed according to this invention is combined with a conventional piston engine of the two-stroke type, the cylinder of which is indicated diagrammatically by the reference numeral 23. The piston 24 of this engine is connected by a connecting rod 25 toa crank 26 on the crank shaft 20, and a pipe 21 leads from the exhaust port of the cylinder 23 to the inlet passage M in the cylinder head II]. Thus the exhaust gases of the piston engine are utilized to operate the engine according to this invention and further expansion and reduction of pressure of the exhaust gases from the piston engineare obtained. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the exhaust from the working chamber is discharged into a casing 28 surrounding the tubular elements !2, I3, and an exhaust outlet 29 is provided from said casing. The casing 28 enables the exhaust to be collected, for instance, in the case of a steam engine for condensing purposes.

If desired, a casing. such as 28 may be provided in the construction of Figure 1.

apart. v39 to two combustion heads 40 for serving respec- A double-acting engine according to the invent-ion is shown in Figure 3. This engine comprises two stationary cylinder heads Ill, whereof the sets of tubular elements I2 extend towards each other, and a common reciprocable piston head I! which is disposed between the sets of tubular elements I2 and has on opposite sides sets of tubular elements I 3 which are intercalated with the tubular elements I2. The piston head II is carried by an oscillatable arm 30 having at its lower end a pivot pin 3|, and the tubular elements are curved to an are having the axis of said pivot pm as a centre. The arm 30 oscillates in the casing 28 into which the exhaust from the working chambers is discharged, and the pivot pin 3| reaches through a laterally extending boss on the casing 28 and carries at its outer end an arm 32 which is connected by the connecting rod I8 to the crank I 9 on the crank shaft 20. Mounted on the crank shaft are two cams or eccentrics 2I which through the valve gears 22 operate the inlet valves I5 in the cylinder heads Iii in properly timed relationship.

An engine according to this invention comparable with a conventional multi-cylinder internal combustion engine is shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive. This engine comprises two rows of working chambers 33, three in a row, which are spaced apart laterally. These working chambers are formed by the tubular elements I2, I3 but the cylinder heads IE3 are in this case at the bottom and are fixed to a crank case 34. The piston heads II of corresponding working chambers in the two rows are rigidly connected by arms 35 to a guide cylinder 35 disposed between the working chambers. slide endwise over a hollow cylinder 37, see Figure 7, fixed to the crank case. Ball bearings 38 are provided between the cylinder 31 and the guide cylinder 36 to minimize friction. The guide cylinder is connected by the connecting rod I8 to the crank I9 on the crank shaft 20 which, it will be appreciated, is in this case a threethrow crank shaft having cranks set at 120 The fuel is supplied by the aid of a blower tively the two rows of Working chambers 33. The combustion heads communicate with main fuel supply pipes 4| disposed one along each side of the crank case 34. Each of these supply pipes communicates through branch pipes with three valve casings 42 each associated with one of the working chambers in the corresponding row. From each valve casing an inlet pipe 43 leads tothe innermost tubular element I2 of the corre r spending working chamber. "The flow of fuel through the valve casing is controlled by the inlet valve I5, see Figure 8. The inlet valves for corresponding working chambers in the two rows are arranged to be opened by a double valve gear 44 controlled by a cam 45 on the crank shaft 20, there being three cams 45 set at 120 apart and three sets of valve gear as Will be well understood.

The application of the invention to a radial engine is shown in Figures 9 to 12 inclusive. This engine comprises two sets of six working chambers 33 between which the guide cylinders 36 are arranged. The piston heads II are connected to the guide cylinders by the arms 35 as in the construction of Figures 5 to 8, and the guide cylinders are operatively connected by the connecting rods I8 to the single-throw crank shaft 20. Each of the fuel supply pipes 4I leading from the combustion heads (not shown) opens into an annular groove 46, see Figure 10,

The guide cylinder is adapted to in the valve casing 42 containing a rotary disc valve 4! fixed on the crank shaft 20. A throughway opem'ng %8 in the disc valve is provided. for establishing communication between the annular groove 56 and each of a number of ports 49 in turn leading to in-let passages 50 which communicat-e respectively with the innermost tubular elements 52 of the Working chambers.

The invention is not restricted to the specific applications, nor to the constructional details shown on the accompanying drawings, as both of these may be varied within wide limits without departing from the invention.

1 claim:

1. A reciprocating fluid-operated engine having a working chamber, comprising a series of at least three telescopi ally arranged non-contacting tubular elements whereof alternate elements are carried by two tube-carrying members which are relatively displaceable in the direction of the axis of the working chamber and which constitute a cylinder head and a piston head respectively, one of which heads has only one port therein arranged to permit a charge of working fluid under pressure to be admitted into the innermost tubular element of said series while the other head is devoid of ports, which tubular elements are of such length in relation to the stroke of the engine that the tubular elements carried by each head are always intercalated with those carried by the other head and which are also open at the ends opposite their heads so that the whole of each charge admitted through said port is compelled to traverse the sinuous path formed by the annular spaces between the tubular elements from the outermost of which spaces the exhaust issues at reduced pressure.

2. A reciprocating fluid-operated engine having a working chamber, comprising a series of at least three telescopically arranged non-contacting tubular elements whereof alternate elements are carried by two tube-carrying members, which are relatively displaceable in the direction of the axis of the working chamber and which constitute a cylinder head, and a piston head respectively, one of which heads has only one port therein arranged to permit a charge of working fluid under pressure to be admitted into the innermost tubular element of said series while the other head is devoid of ports, which tubular elements are open at the ends opposite their heads and are of such lengths in relation to the stroke of the engine that at least some of the tubular elements carried by each head will be intercalated throughout the stroke with those carried by the other head so as to provide in the working chamher a sinuous passage, formed by the annular spaces between the intercalated tubular elements, which has to be traversed by the whole of each charge admitted through the aforesaid port before it is exausted from the working chamber. JOHN GEORGE AULSEBROOK KITCHEN. 

